Marketing Commons^™

Coping Under Constraint: How Consumer Vulnerability And Caregiver Status Shape Food Choice And Well-Being, Kerry-Ann V. Forbes, Prachi Gala

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Caregiving is a chronic and understudied form of consumer vulnerability that reshapes everyday decision-making, particularly in food contexts. This research conceptualizes caregiving as a sustained role-based vulnerability. It proposes a moderated-mediation model in which consumer vulnerability influences coping strategies that subsequently affect food choice and consumer well-being. Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behavior, Coping Theory, and Transformative Consumer Research, the study examines how caregiver status (familial, professional, or non-caregiver) serves as a boundary condition that shapes these relationships. A three-phase mixed-methods design is employed: qualitative interviews to refine constructs, a survey–experiment to test the moderated-mediation model, and an experimental …

Dressed For Judgment: What Should Celebrities Wear To Court?, Alaina Jean, Emily Lesmes, Hyunju Shin

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This project explores consumers’ perceptions of celebrities facing criminal charges based on their choice of outfit. On the basis of Weiner’s attribution theory, we argue that when celebrities facing criminal charges are attired in traditional/professional outfits such as a black suit for males or a black knee-length dress for females in court compared with non-traditional/casual outfits such as a casual shirt with a defiant print and sneakers, consumers are likely to infer their remorse for their wrongdoings, which in turn may lead to more favorable attitudes toward the celebrity and higher forgiveness intentions. This research expands understanding of how consumers’ …

Consumer Insights About Art Workshop And Art Boutique Preferences, Lucia M. Johnson, Richard Kaminski, Megan E. Marlin, Craig B. Joyner

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This research explores customer preferences, the effects of local demographics, purchasing habits, and the impact of social media platforms in driving customer engagement and loyalty. By surveying consumers, the study identifies the key qualities necessary to further engage potential and return customers, including pricing, location, and accessibility. The findings suggest a deep appreciation for creating artwork rather than buying artwork, distinct social media opportunities through the utilization of apps such as Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok, as well as focusing their current offerings while broadening and segmenting their marketing initiatives. However, the study also notes limitations such as a convenience-based sample …

Running On Empty: How Burnout Derails Customer Delight And Sales Performance In Road Warrior Salespeople, Charshae L. Marshall-Phillips

AMTP Proceedings 2026

In an increasingly competitive marketplace, firms rely on customer delight for success. The physical and emotional toll on “Road Warrior” salespeople often acts as a barrier to this goal. This research proposes a model connecting antecedents (burnout) and outcomes (sales performance) via the salesperson's ability to create customer delight.

Employing a quantitative design with B2B salespeople traveling over 50% of the time, Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) is used to test hypothesized relationships. It is hypothesized that emotional exhaustion negatively impacts the capacity to create delight, subsequently lowering sales performance. Crucially, sales manager support is expected to moderate this relationship, acting …

From Channel Partnerships To Performance: The Enabling Role Of Artificial Intelligence, Manisha Mathur

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This study reframes channel strategy by shifting attention away from relationship investments as direct performance drivers and toward the mechanisms through which those investments create value. It proposes that resources committed to channel partners influence firm performance only insofar as they build channel equity, the capacity to operate credibly, visibly, and effectively within markets, and that this capacity is further shaped by firms’ analytical capabilities.

Internship Best Practices: A Comparative Analysis Of A Small Private University (Tiffin University) And A Large Public University (Kennesaw State University), Kellie Mcgilvray, Randy Stuart

AMTP Proceedings 2026

The balance of scholarship and professional practice is a hallmark of career preparation in higher education. While classroom instruction is essential for building foundational knowledge, experiential learning through internships allows students to apply theory in authentic professional contexts.

Are the requirements and administration of internship experiences the same at a small private university (Tiffin University-TU) (student population 3,726/687 business majors) as at a large public university (Kennesaw State University-KSU) (student population 50,000/10,000 business majors) and what best practices can be learned from both organizations? This paper will compare and contrast the practices at both schools and recommend best practices to …

Reimagining Brand Resonance: A Symbolic Interactionist Framework For Influencer-Brand Relationships And Within-Category Switching, Antoinette Okono

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This conceptual paper reinterprets brand resonance as a mechanism for competitive acquisition rather than retention. While traditional frameworks position resonance as the outcome of loyalty and attachment, contemporary markets require strategies that convert consumers embedded in rival ecosystems. Drawing on symbolic interactionism, the model positions influencers as meaning intermediaries who reshape interpretations of identity, relevance, and social permission. Influencer–brand partnership strength initiates a sequential pathway in which effort expectancy and performance expectancy reduce perceived barriers, while a novel construct—switching legitimization—authorizes movement away from incumbent brands. Through repeated mediated encounters, attachment to the target brand develops prior to behavioral change. The …

Do Salespeople Best Understand Market Orientation Of Their Company?, Thomas L. Powers

AMTP Proceedings 2026

The perspective of salespeople is important to consider in order to fully understand market orientation and how it influences company performance. Salespeople mediate the firm and its customers, and they are key to the successful implementation of a market orientation. A discrepancy in the perception of market orientation may exist as executives and managers may have an inherently higher assessment of market orientation than other members of the organization. In order to address this issue, the research presented in this paper examines the relationship between cultural and operational market orientation and performance from the perspective of salespeople, managers and customers.

Determinants Of E-Waste Recycling Intentions Among Us And Uk Consumers, Catherine A. Roster

AMTP Proceedings 2026

The amount of e-waste generated globally is rising faster than e-waste recycling rates and represents a danger to the environment and humans. The objective of this study was to investigate determinants of e-waste recycling intentions among a representative sample of 1,050 adult consumers from the US and the UK. Cross-national differences were also examined. A model integrating factors drawn from the theory of planned behavior and value-belief-norm theory was tested using PLS-SEM. Findings showed that values, awareness of consequences, ecological self-identity, and ascription of responsibility influenced personal norms toward e-waste recycling, and that personal norms partially mediated relationships between these …

Mindset Matters: How Growth And Fixed Mindsets Shape Consumer Adoption Of Ai, Myungjin Smale, Yuri Martirosyan, Hui Zhang

AMTP Proceedings 2026

This research examines how individuals’ mindsets shape their use of generative AI (gen AI). In a study with 348 undergraduate students, participants imagined writing a graduate school Statement of Purpose and indicated whether and how they would use AI tools. Among participants who indicated they would use AI, fixed-mindset students were more likely to rely on AI for brainstorming tasks, such as idea generation, whereas growth-mindset students were more likely to use AI for writing aids, such as grammar or spell checking. A significant interaction emerged between mindset and AI use type on anticipated guilt: growth-mindset students anticipated greater guilt …

Institution-Based Trust And Covid-19 Compliance Across Countries, Liz Wang

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Trust is central to public health compliance, yet most social marketing models still focus on individual-level drivers such as attitudes and norms. This study examines institution-based trust (IBT) as a moderator of citizens’ intentions to comply with COVID-19 prevention guidelines within a TRA model, using online survey data from US, UK, Australia, and Taiwan collected during the pandemic. Results show that IBT moderates both the attitude–intention (ATT–BI) and subjective norm–intention (SN–BI) relationships and suggest that high- and low-IBT contexts activate different mechanisms—legitimacy-based versus self-protective routes—to compliance. The paper outlines research and managerial implications for social marketing theory and practice.Institution-Based …

From Eye Rolls To Exploitation: Differentiating Consumer Incivility From Jay Customer Behavior, Scott M. Widmier, Prachi B. Gala, Nikolaos Iason Koufodontis

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Problematic customer behavior in service settings ranges from mild rudeness to deliberate exploitation, yet research often treats such actions as a single construct. Drawing on the General Aggression Model, this study differentiates customer incivility (reactive, stress‑driven misconduct) from Jay Customer behavior (calculated, strategic exploitation) and examines their distinct antecedents. Survey data from 820 U.S. adults show that Dark Triad personality traits strongly predict both behaviors, with a substantially stronger effect on Jay Customer behavior. Perceived stress predicts both outcomes but is particularly salient for incivility. In contrast, Light Triad traits negatively predict both forms of misbehavior and moderate the stress–incivility …

Conversation Analysis Of Public-Servant And Persons-Of-Interest Face-To-Face Talk Via Llm‑Supported Ai Script Mapping Tools, Arch G. Woodside, Suresh Sood

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Professional public servants (PSs) including police officers, postal workers, and government tax office and DMV employees interact face-to-face with citizens/persons of interest (POIs), in encounters that are frequently recorded using mobile phones and publicized on platforms such as YouTube.com. Building on our observations about recurrent PS–POI scripts and LLM-supported analysis, we develop five grounded propositions linking enacted scripts to existing theory. The propositions focus on describing early turn-taking asymmetry, the importance of sequential detail beyond-shallow analysis, the predictive role of script recurrence, the value of rich, script-based role-play, and the potential of narrative-intelligence databases for institutional learning. Instead of treating …

Conceptualizing Cancel Culture In Marketing: Moral Policing In A Hyperconnected World, T. Andrew Poehlman, Sairah Abraham

AMTP Proceedings 2026

The dynamics of marketing in society have shifted. Brands no longer sit at a distance broadcasting messages; they now occupy the same social networks as people, speaking in a human voice and inviting quasi-personal relationships. In this environment, we argue that corporate cancel culture is best understood as moral policing of brands that have chosen to act like human nodes in social networks. Drawing on hierarchy research, we frame cancellations as “leveling” responses when high-status brands behave in ways that feel domineering, hypocritical, or extractive rather than prestige-based and service-oriented. Using Moral Foundations Theory, we show how diverse cancellations can …

Navigating The Ai Classroom: Integrating Ai In Education For Enhanced Learning And Career Readiness, Katryna M. Johnson

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

This study employs an innovative approach by integrating AI and human endeavors in the research process. The examination provides a literature review and theoretical frameworks for integrating AI in education, focusing on three key stakeholder groups: students, faculty, and institutions. The analysis explores the benefits and challenges of AI in the classroom from each group’s perspective. The paper emphasizes hands-on AI experience for marketing students to remain competitive. The paper provides practical tips and suggestions for using AI in marketing classes and creating an institutional environment to support long-term AI growth. Additionally, the study presents widely used AI tools in …

Integrating Artificial Intelligence Into Marketing Education: A Conceptual Framework For Curriculum Enhancement, Aisha Ghimire, Gallayanee Yaoyuneyong

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

This paper introduces a Constructivist–Experiential GenAI Integration Framework to embed Generative AI (GenAI) across undergraduate marketing curricula. Grounded in constructivist and experiential learning theories, the framework positions GenAI as a learning partner, through hands-on, reflective, and ethically informed learning. Discipline-specific vignettes illustrate how GenAI can enhance marketing courses through accessible and scalable activities that align with diverse class sizes, institutional resources, and delivery modes. By leveraging freely available GenAI platforms, the model promotes inclusivity while cultivating AI literacy, ethical reasoning, and strategic agility. The paper concludes with recommendations for empirical validation and cross-institutional collaboration to ensure that GenAI-driven marketing education …

Precision Or Invasion? Mapping The Personalization Paradox, Shyamala N. Chalakudi, Gnana Bharathy

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

AI-driven personalization has transformed consumer engagement, yet existing research offers no systematic way to determine when personalization shifts from helpful to intrusive. Current research and models explain privacy concerns or expectancy violations but do not measure the point at which personalization triggers user discomfort, creating the personalization paradox. This study introduces the Discomfort Threshold Assessment & Measurement (DTAM) framework, a conceptual model that identifies and evaluates this threshold by integrating Dual Process Theory, Expectation Violation Theory, and Privacy Calculus Theory. DTAM distinguishes between affective discomfort reactance and cognitive discomfort reactance and outlines how these constructs could, in future empirical studies, …

Clusters Of Student Perceptions Of Ai-Assisted Grading: Implications For Fair And Transparent Assessment Practice In Higher Education, Roberto Bello

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

As artificial intelligence (AI) tools become increasingly embedded in assessment and feedback systems, understanding how students perceive these technologies is vital for maintaining trust and fairness in higher education. This study investigates how students experience AI-assisted grading through an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) that incorporates fairness, transparency, and trust as pedagogically relevant constructs. Survey data from undergraduate marketing students (N = 142) were analyzed using cluster analysis, revealing three distinct perception profiles: Enthusiasts, Pragmatists, and Skeptics. These clusters differ significantly in their willingness to rely on AI feedback, perceived fairness of algorithmic grading, and expectations of …

Evaluating Marketing Decision Systems Under Experimental Constraints, Vatsal Modi

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Marketing organizations increasingly rely on algorithmic decision systems to guide targeting, budget allocation, and personalization. While these systems are widely deployed, evaluating their incremental impact remains challenging when traditional experimentation approaches, such as geo-based or large-scale randomized tests, are infeasible due to operational, regulatory, or interference constraints. This study examines how marketing decision systems can be rigorously evaluated under such conditions. Drawing on recent advances in causal inference and marketing analytics, we develop a decision-centric evaluation framework that integrates synthetic control methods, quasi-experimental designs, and incrementality diagnostics to approximate counterfactual performance. The framework emphasizes methodological transparency, robustness checks, and practical …

Crisis Communication In The Influencer Era: A Crisis Response Analysis Of Poppi And Alani Nu, Meredith E. Staley

Honors College Theses

As social media continues to reshape modern public relations practice, beverage brands like Alani Nu and Poppi offer relevant examples of influencer-driven communication and crisis response. This honors thesis compares and contrasts these brands following two major crises: Poppi’s influencer vending machine campaign and the health concerns and backlash surrounding Alani Nu’s energy drinks. Despite the well-known prevalence of these brands, there is little scholarly research examining their crisis communication strategies. Guided by Situational Crisis Communication Theory, this study uses a combination of social and news media content analysis to evaluate how each brand responded to its respective crisis. Each …

Moral Outrage To Market Impact: A Multi-Level Analysis Of Corporate Cancel Culture, Sayan Gupta, T. Andrew Poehlman

AMTP Proceedings 2026

Corporate cancel culture is often dismissed as “just social media noise,” but for managers the real stakes show up in markets. This paper develops and tests a three-level framework linking moralized social-media discourse, online brand reputation, and firm-level financial outcomes. Using three canonical cancellations—Dolce & Gabbana’s China controversy, Tesla’s politicization via Elon Musk, and Bud Light’s backlash after its transgender influencer partnership—we first show that these events are organized around spikes in moral-emotional language and structural virality, not generic negativity. We then document how this moral outrage predicts shifts in brand sentiment, associations, and engagement across platforms, before examining corresponding …

An Examination Of Brand Avoidance Among Consumers Of Membership Business Models, Cara Peters, Bradley W. Brooks

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

The purpose of this study is to examine how the increasingly prevalent business membership model is linked to potential brand avoidance. Based on a qualitative examination of consumer complaints from two organizations that utilize membership business models, this research demonstrates how consumer complaints are highly consistent with established brand avoidance antecedents. The findings offer a cautionary warning to business decision-makers who manage membership business models with consumers as well as to those who are considering implementing such an approach. The implications for these decision-makers are discussed.

Is Political Information Over Facebook Credible? A Look At The 2020 Presidential Election, Kristina Harrison, Shawn Thelen, Boonghee Yoo, John B. Ford

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

Much controversy still exists surrounding the events before, during, and after the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Some of this is attributable to voters’ uncertainty, driven by conflicting messages transmitted over social media, about the credibility of information surrounding the candidates and election results. Examining data collected shortly before the 2020 election, this study investigates how consumers perceive political information presented on Facebook. Drawing from Source Credibility Theory and the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), the research tests a model that includes medium dependency, medium interactivity, information quality, information presentation, personal expertise, and power perception. Data from 407 participants were analyzed using …

Decoding The Dynamics Of Ceo Sociopolitical Activism And Stakeholders’ Response, Nayyer Naseem, Yuqi Wang, Faraz Moin

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

Business leaders today function as powerful symbolic figures whose sociopolitical stances can transform consumer loyalty, investor confidence, and organizational stability. This study decodes how stakeholders interpret executive actions and respond through behaviors such as boycotts, divestment, or heightened advocacy, highlighting both short and long-term consequences. Drawing on signaling, stakeholder, social identity, social influence, intrinsic motivation, and reputational risk theoretical frameworks, this study develops a four-stage interpretive model that links leadership behavior to stakeholder perceptions, reactions, and market outcomes within varying contextual and environmental conditions. Through a case-based analysis, it illustrates how CEO stance, media framing, and ideological alignment shape these …

Educating For Impact: A Prosocial Marketing Approach To Foster Altruism Among Young Consumers, Bela Florenthal

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

This study explores how a prosocial marketing intervention in a dual-enrollment course fosters altruistic values and emotional development among young consumers while deepening their understanding of cause-related and social marketing. Grounded in holistic and experiential learning, the project required students to engage in weekly acts of kindness, reflect on their experiences, and share their actions on social media to amplify impact. Thematic analysis of qualitative data collected over two academic years revealed personal growth driven by intrinsic motivation (e.g., belonging, self-esteem) and positive emotions (e.g., joy, pride). Students demonstrated greater social awareness and practical application of marketing principles through volunteering, …

The Role Of Apparel In College Student Athletic Affiliation, Robin Hardin, Michelle L. Childs

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

Athletics is often considered the virtual front porch of a university, as it is often the most recognizable aspect of a college or university. This study examines how college students use apparel to affiliate with their university’s athletic brand. Results revealed three key factors influencing athletic-related merchandise preference: fashionable appeal, uniqueness, and official merchandise. Further analysis found that merchandise featuring official logos, colors, and recognizable branding elements significantly enhances consumers’ ability to associate with the university’s athletics brand. Gender differences emerged in preferences for fashionable items, with men showing greater interest. These findings provide valuable insights for marketers and university …

Motion Picture Reviews As Determinants Of Box Office Revenue In The Post-Covid Environment, Fernando Comiran, Velitchka D. Kaltcheva, Anthony Patino

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

The decline in motion picture box office receipts and shortened release windows following the COVID-19 pandemic have placed heightened pressure on early performance as a critical determinant of commercial viability. Building upon earlier research suggesting that, as moviegoing frequency decreases, consumers are more likely to rely on audience reviews than critics’ reviews when making a decision to see a movie (Chakravarty et al., 2010), we examine which source of early reviews—professional critics reviews or audience reviews (WOM)—has an impact on early performance following the COVID-19 pandemic. We estimate a linear regression model using actual behavioral data—namely, eight years of motion …

Georgia Southern Marketing Plan, Charles R. Herman

Honors College Theses

The Georgia Southern Botanic Garden Marketing plan details what the future marketing of the garden looks like. The plan shows the potential of the garden as a space for relaxation and education as well as a one-of-a-kind event space. Using this as the platform the goal of the plan is to show that the community and greater Statesboro area using social media and reaching out through events. Through an overhaul of the marketing of the garden it would allow it to expand its current markets and increase its contributed and earned revenue.

Why Do We Buy What They Recommend? Investigating The Effects Of Fashion Influencers’ Source Factors On Consumer Attitudes And Purchase Intentions, Faren Karimkhan, Sindy Chapa

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

This study examined the effects of source factors (trustworthiness, expertise, attractiveness, similarity, and likability) among Social Media Fashion Influencers (SMFIs) on consumers’ attitudes toward SMFIs and attitudes toward endorsed products, as well as the influence of these attitude variables on consumers’ purchase intention. A one-shot single-group case study was conducted (n=440). PLS-SEM was used to analyze the data. Results indicated that trustworthiness, attractiveness, and likability influence attitudes toward SMFIs but not the product. Expertise, similarity, and likability influence attitudes toward the product but not attitudes toward SMFIs. Attitudes toward the product and similarity with SMFI significantly influence purchase intentions. Attitudes …

Comments From The Editors, Tulay Girard, Brian Whelan

Journal of Applied Marketing Theory

Welcome to the Spring 2025 issue of the Journal of Applied Marketing Theory. The Journal of Applied Marketing Theory (JAMT) is dedicated to providing a reputable platform for the dissemination of academic research that both advances marketing knowledge and offers practical insights for marketing professionals.

In this issue, we are pleased to feature six manuscripts that explore a diverse range of topics within the field. Each article was well-received by our review team and contributes valuable perspectives to current marketing discussions. We are delighted to share these contributions with our readers and hope you find them both insightful and thought-provoking.